Safari Ltd.: New for 2018

[MLMjp]

OMG! Just when I though Safari was going to be "Ok" for this year... We get this!!

YES! YES! YES! A NEW TRICERATOPS! YES! THANK YOU! THANK YOU SAFARI! Although they could have give it better colors, but still GREAT. 
Malawisarus: I like it, and I have estimated it´s scale an it´s very close to 1:40, so thats a win for me!

Dimetrodon looks good, but I would like to know from better informed members if that scaly skin should or should not be scaly.
I don´t care about mammals, but I like the Macrauchenia.

[Kayakasaurus]

Safari sent these over to me for my YouTube channel. They're really great figures. Safari's promo photos don't do them justice, this photo is closer to how they look irl. Two safari Ceratopsians this year?? Yay Doug Watson!

[Doug Watson]

I would like to know which of these prehistoric creatures have been sculpted apart from the dimetrodon, daeodon and mastodon. For me, they are thirteen paleo-sculpture works destined more to collectors by far.   

My prehistoric contributions this year are: Mastodon, Daeodon, Uintatherium, Megacerops, Ankylosaurus, Regaliceratops, Triceratops, Dimetrodon

My non-prehistoric pieces this year are: Babirusa, Pygmy Hippo, Sumatran Rhino, Muskox, Bison, WW Florida Panther, WW Bison, WW Jaguar repaint (my sculpt) and they have re-issued my Flamingo.

[Jose S.M.]

Safari sent these over to me for my YouTube channel. They're really great figures. Safari's promo photos don't do them justice, this photo is closer to how they look irl. Two safari Ceratopsians this year?? Yay Doug Watson!

That photo makes Amargasaurus look actually good. Lack of lips is still weird but the face looks better than the promo photos.

[suspsy]

Well now. The 2018 line has indeed proven to be a worthy successor to this year's. Prehistoric mammals galore! I like the mastodon, the Hyenadon, and the Macrauchenia the best. And that Triceratops, wow! My wish has come true!

Now bring on a new Stegosaurus for 2019!

[MLMjp]

Well now. The 2018 line has indeed proven to be a worthy successor to this year's. Prehistoric mammals galore! I like the mastodon, the Hyenadon, and the Macrauchenia the best. And that Triceratops, wow! My wish has come true!

Unfortunately, those who do not collect mammals can not agree with your statement. But still, some nice surprises from Safari this year, specially thanks to that Triceratops!

[Jose S.M.]

I only collect dinosaurs for now, but I can say that in quality of the figures, this year is indeed very strong, continuing with the "rebooth" of the line that started this year. In the end we got 6 dinosaurs, 6 mammals and the Dimetrodon right?

Now bring on a new Stegosaurus for 2019!

With an Allosaurus for company!

[Kayakasaurus]

Safari sent these over to me for my YouTube channel. They're really great figures. Safari's promo photos don't do them justice, this photo is closer to how they look irl. Two safari Ceratopsians this year?? Yay Doug Watson!

That photo makes Amargasaurus look actually good. Lack of lips is still weird but the face looks better than the promo photos.

I agree! It's all in the angle

[Jose S.M.]

yeah I see, I think that most figures can't pass the extreme close up test with a full succes, even when the overall look is outstanding. Figures often have an eye or nostril higher than other, eyes looking at different directions, or smaller paint mistakes that are not so noticiable to the naked eye.

[SpartanSquat]

What a surprise today!
Safari should revive the enxt year Arsinoitherium and Andrewsarchus! Also a new Stegosaurus! Triceratops old model despite its innacuracies still has the charming, but this one is amazing like all safari ceratopsians.

[Faelrin]

Thanks for the insight on the Dimetrodon Doug. Also thanks for sharing which ones you sculpted. That's quite a lot there, but so was the case for last year.

Honestly with Dimetrodon, it's a mixed bag for me, because there isn't integument for it. However it is not a reptile, because it is a synapsid, so I'm not sure I agree with it being treated as such and having scales. However it is the most conservative approach, though it would have been neat to see it with smooth skin, which would have been a fresh take on this animal. Really it's quite speculative at this point without such evidence of what skin texture it had or didn't have, or without evidence of something that was ancestral to it. In any case, scales or no scales, I like the sculpt. I wish it was more in a high walking pose, but it is what it is. I still prefer Papo's color scheme, but I'm sure I'll be adding this one to my collection at some point. It's a nice step up from the usual lizard like Dimetrodon's in any case.

With all these new reveals I really have to re-evaluate what I want to get first, and that also includes older releases. I might prioritize the Ankylosaurus, Anzu, and Triceratops to have alongside my Feathered Tyrannosaurus and Dracorex figures sooner, though I also really like the American Mastodon, the Hyaneodon, and the Muskox. Surprisingly of the ones I want, the Dimetrodon is my least favorite, even though Dimetrodon is one of my favorite prehistoric creatures, probably because of the above mentioned. The same thing happened with the 2017 Parasaurolophus. One of my favorite prehistoric animals, but yet it was my least favorite figure of the ones I wanted from the 2017 releases.

[AcroSauroTaurus]

My opinions.
Dimetrodon: Pretty disappointed with this one, lacks the hump at the lower part of the sail and the tips aren't exposed enough,(but only a little bit too covered)the posture is off and the biggest problem is the scales... Although the figure was made before the appearance change, it should at least not have scales.

Am I imagining things or wasn't Dimetrodon supposed to not have scales?

When sculpting this piece along with accessing the latest papers on dimetrodon I consulted with Dr. Robert Reisz a leading expert on synapsids. He is also the one who has recently brought forward the theory that dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus had lips.
That is why my Dimetrodon has lips. The skeletal is based on Scott Hartman's latest interpretation and the posture is a semi high walk. For the external look I mostly used a recent interpretation supervised by Dr. Reisz the main difference being he brings the sail to the tips of the spines.
As for the skin I raised the question with Dr. Reisz that some feel it should be smooth based on other skin fossils of animals like Estemmenosuchus. As you should know there are no known integument fossils of any dimetrodon.
This was Dr. Reisz's answer to me: "AGAIN, I AGREE WITH THAT INTERPRETATION (scales). THAT IS THE DEFAULT RECONSTRUCTION IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY DIRECT EVIDENCE. THE INTERPRETATIONS OF ESTEMMENOSUCHUS ARE NOT RELEVANT TO DIMETRODON, SINCE PHYSIOLOGICALLY THEY ARE QUITE DIFFERENT, DIMETRODON BEING MORE LIKE A REPTILE, AND ESTEMMENOSUCHUS BEING MORE LIKE A MAMMAL."
Sorry for the all caps but that is how he answered me and I don't think he was yelling at the time.

Thanks for the clarification on the integument, I didn't say anything about the lips, just the tips of the neural spines. Now, based on the info you provided, you did a nice job on the sculpt with the info provided to you.

[Joey]

A lot of mammals this year especially from Safari, and so far two mammal like reptiles (Estemmenosuchus and Dimetrodon). I also like how the Malawisaurus is roughly 1:40 scale. Also are these all of the 2018 Safari ltd figures, since they didn't update their facebook yet?

[Loon]

A lot of mammals this year especially from Safari, and so far two mammal like reptiles (Estemmenosuchus and Dimetrodon). I also like how the Malawisaurus is roughly 1:40 scale. Also are these all of the 2018 Safari ltd figures, since they didn't update their facebook yet?

Was there an Estemmenosuchus revealed?

[Joey]

A lot of mammals this year especially from Safari, and so far two mammal like reptiles (Estemmenosuchus and Dimetrodon). I also like how the Malawisaurus is roughly 1:40 scale. Also are these all of the 2018 Safari ltd figures, since they didn't update their facebook yet?

Was there an Estemmenosuchus revealed?

I was talking about the Collecta Estemmenosuchus and Safari's new Dimetrodon
Sorry, I should have been more clear.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

The triceratops is really great; it reminds me of Shane Foulkes' smaller trike and it looks like it'll be bigger than the rest of the ceratopsids, too. The macrauchenia might just make me take the Schleich version off my list. It's a welcome surprise. Were the colors based on a pronghorn? I also like the dimetrodon; it seems as though spinosaurus took its place on the toy market. It's good to see WS put one out.

The only prehistoric figure I'm not as thrilled about is the Malawisaurus. I had high hopes for that one but the others make up for it. Even still, I can't think of a better titanosaur toy.

Also I'm glad to see a WW bison; that's a figure I wanted to see for a while.

Overall I think Safari's 2018 lineup is a lot better than that of 2017 (which was hard to beat). I'll definitely order the rest of the prehistorics-and some modern animals-soon.

[Dromaenychus]

I was hoping for an updated Triceratops next year, but BAM! there it is! The Hell Creek All Stars are complete! Now, next year a new Allosaurus, Stegosaurus and Camarosaurus for some Jurassic love... Oh! And a feathered Deinonychus!

[Rossano]

Macrauchenia rules!

I love so much this figure, because I like a lot the animal, and I found the previous attempts not that pleasant. I am sorry I don't have knowledge on the anatomical aspects of real animals, and I am judging just from an aesthetical point of view.

[Jorgesaurus]

Now that safari have revealed their models of prehistoric creatures 2018 I am satisfied with their work and their models sr. Watson are great I hope that in 2019 they make a new stegosaurus or a tuojiangosaurus

[Irritation]

Yes. The Hyaenodon. The Macrauchenia looks awesome too and we needed a new one since the Schleich version is retired. The other 3 look good too. Out of these five, I like the Hyaenodon the most.